The Forest Fantasy Shawl knitting pattern is now available on Ravelry.

Choose your favorite fantasy colors and create the forest or jungle of your dreams.

This asymmetrical (sideways knit) shawl incorporates the bamboo stitch, open lace stitch patterns, double running leaf stitch patterns, and a loose and leafy lace edging.

When you’re finished, wrap yourself in this light and luxurious lambswool and cotton blend that’s sure start some conversations!

The finished measurements after blocking are:
60x54x37 inches (152.5x137x94 cm)

I used 2 coast ombre packs available from the Tangled Yarns UK website (color range: geranium to ecru).

Intermediate knitting ability with some lace knitting experience is needed for this project.

If you don’t have the time to knit the shawl, you can purchase the finished accessory as shown here on Etsy.

Happy Knitting!
MikeH

Last week’s work in progress is still in progress (see last week’s blog post) and I have added another one.

This is a variation on my free knitting pattern: ZigZag Garter Stitch Reversible Knit Scarf using 2 strands of yarn and larger needles.

If you download the pattern from Ravelry all you need for this larger and thicker version is to knit with 2 strands throughout on US 11 or 8mm needles. I’m using 1 100g skein each of an Aran-weight mohair blend and a light fingering-weight yarn.

Until the scarf is finished I won’t know how much of the light fingering yarn is required, but I’m sure I’ll use all of the 190 yards/175 meters of the mohair blend.

Come back for a visit next week and see some finished photos. I should have last week’s feature finished – and maybe this one too.

Happy Knitting!
MikeH

My newest design is knit with a light fingering-weight yarn in five colors, and is a fantasy vision of a forest landscape, incorporating lace patterns of leaves and other forest foliage.

The shawl is asymmetrical (knit sideways), and progresses from geranium to red currant and then begonia, fairy and finally ecru.

In this photo, you see the first two colors: geranium and red currant.

The accessory requires 2 Coast Ombre Packs (purchased from tangledyarn.co.uk). The yarn is a light fingering weight in 55% merino lambswool and 45% cotton).

Be sure to come back for a visit to monitor the progress.

Happy Knitting!
MikeH

The pattern for this lace knit scarf is called Skinny Leaves not because the leaves are skinny – and it’s not designed for skinny people – it’s a skinny scarf that measures 4.5 inches (11.5cm) wide, and is 68.5 inches (174cm) long.

Knit with Araucania Botany Lace, which is actually a light fingering weight yarn, the scarf is lightweight but has enough substance that it’s perfect for cool autumn days.

The yarn is a hand-dyed wine color (colorway 2118).

Two basic lace stitch patterns are involved, with some eyelet rows where the wooden beads are placed (3 beads), and a knit-on edging.

You’ll need some lace knitting experience for this, but it’s a good practice piece if you’d like to improve your lace knitting skills, knit-on edging skills, and bead placement skills!

Download the pattern from Ravelry.

Happy Knitting!
MikeH

This hand knit reversible heart shaped bandana/shawlette is one of my original – and most popular – designs: Buds and Flowers.

The yarn is a hand-dyed luxury blend that’s 80% fine merino wool and 20% silk. The colorway is called Mountain Moss, and there are 18 6mm sandalwood beads incorporated into a row of the flower pattern.

Wear with the point in front or in back, tie the ends, or add a vintage pin. This is an accessory that’s suitable for casual as well as evening wear.

The accessory measures:
18.5 inches (47cm) from the center of the top to the bottom point
43.5 inches (110.5cm) across at the widest point
47 inches (119.5) measured across the top edge

The accessory is available for purchase in my Etsy shop.

If you’d like to knit your own, the basic pattern is available on Ravelry, and the instructions for this variation are here:

This is a slight variation on the original pattern, using a luxurious blend of merino and silk and adding some 6mm sandalwood beads.

With US4/3.5mm needles the shawlette required a full 113-gram skein (420 yards/385 meters) of Cherry Tree Hill Fingerpaints Superwash Silk Fingering yarn (Mountain Moss colorway).

And I added 18 6mm sandalwood beads in the middle of the flowers across one row.

Dimensions after blocking:
18.5 inches (47cm) from center of top to bottom point
43.5 inches (110.5cm) across at the widest point
47 inches (119.5cm) measured across the top edge

Here are the variations in the instructions if you have this pattern:

Row 69: You’ll see these instructions in parentheses – to be repeated a total of 18 times across the row: 
(K2tog, YO, K3, YO, SSK, K3)
On the second K stitch of the K3 group in the middle – in bold above – place a bead and then knit the stitch

Row 109: K across
Then,
With the right side of your work facing you, CO an additional 6 stitches (cable cast-on method recommended):

K5, and then K the 6th stitch together with the next stitch on your left needle. You should have 6 stitches on your right needle and have decreased 1 stitch on your left needle.

Then, work as follows:
Row 1: K1, K2tog, YO, K2, YO twice, K1 (8 stitches)
Row 2: K1, (K1, P1 into double YO), K4, K the next stitch together with the next stitch on your left needle (8 stitches)
Row 3: K1, K2tog, YO, K5 (8 stitches)
Row 4: BO 2 sts, P2tog, YO, K2, K the next stitch together with the next stitch on your left needle (6 stitches)
Repeat these 4 rows to the end
BO

Let me know if you have any questions/need any help.

Happy Knitting!
MikeH

All That Glitters is a unique crescent-shaped shawl ready for the autumn weather. I designed this accessory and knit it by hand using a high-end hand-dyed gradient yarn in 4 different colors.

You’ll find just a hint of sparkle in the yarn, which is 84 per cent superwash merino wool and 16 percent sparkle nylon. It’s easy care as well as elegant!

I bought a Paintbox Kit from Biscotte et Cie because I loved the sparkly, colorful range of gradient yarns in the collection, even though I wasn’t sure at the time what I was going to do with it.

The yarn and the colors looked like they would be a good candidate for a rather simple garter stitch crescent shawl, with a more elaborate knit-on antique lace edging.

In all it required 600 yards/550 meters of fingering weight yarn
.

I used 4 colors of a 5-color (5-skein) Biscotte & Cie Gradient Paintbox “Twinkle Winkle” Hand Dyed Sparkling Yarn Kit: full skeins of colors A, B, and C, and 1/3 skein of color D. (Note that each of these skeins contains 182 yards/166 meters.)

The body is an easy knit – and no short rows are involved!

The knit-on lace edging is going to require a bit of lace knitting skill, at the intermediate level, in my opinion. If you’d like to give it a try, let me know if you need some help!

You can find the pattern on Ravelry, Craftsy, and LoveKnitting.

Alternatively, you can purchase this shawl on Etsy.

There’s plenty of length to wrap around your shoulders, as the shawl measures 165 cm across x 42 cm wide at widest point
(65 x 16.5in).

A brooch or shawl pin would be a stunning addition, and although the sterling silver elephant shown on the listing page is not included in the price it is available.

All of the items in my shop are original designs and hand knit by me. World-wide standard air shipping is available.

Happy Knitting!
MikeH

Last week I wrote about incorporating a lace knit edging as you bind off the body of the shawl. Here’s another example this week – and a new pattern.

My newest shawl pattern is an asymmetrical shape that features a bottom edge in a contrasting color and a knit-on edge in that contrasting color as well.

The bottom edge (on the right) is knit as part of the body of the shawl, simply by changing colors on each row; and the knit-on edging (on the left) is worked from the final row of the body.

This shawl was knit with two shades of Malabrigo Lace yarn (100% baby merino), with the body of the shawl in Water Green, and the edge and the border in Indiecita.

About the design:
In Asian landscape paintings, artists typically incorporate mountains or rocks, water, the sky, trees, and greenery, along with a man-made element, such as a bridge, to create an overall image. The result is often abstract, leaving the viewer to explore the landscape the artist created.

Living in Asia, I come across many painted scrolls from China and other parts of eastern Asia and often have the opportunity to view the scenery that has inspired artists for centuries.

This shawl is my interpretation of an Asian landscape, worked in lace stitch patterns that are meant to evoke hilly terrain, flowing water with the hint of a bridge, tree branches, and abundant foliage.

Intermediate knitting ability with some lace knitting experience is necessary for this pattern.

You’ll find the pattern on Ravelry. The accessory is available for purchase on Etsy.

Happy Knitting!
MikeH

Lace edgings have been used as embellishments for garments, bedding, table coverings, and other objects for centuries – and remain popular today.

Sometimes lace edgings are knit as a strip of the desired length, and then sewn on to the object. This is most typically the case when the garment or table covering is made of woven fabric.

Here’s an example of a simple but attractive lace knit edging that could enhance a sleeve edge  – or the bottom edge of a knit shawl.

It would be attached by sewing it (at the body edge) to the garment or object to be embellished.

Here’s the stitch pattern for this simple loopy edging – knit on US4 needles (3.5mm), with a lace-weight yarn:

CO 6
Row 1: K1, K2tog, YO, K2, YO twice, K1 (8 stitches)
Row 2: K1, (K1, P1 into double YO), K5 (8 stitches)
Row 3: K1, K2tog, YO, K5 (8 stitches)
Row 4: BO 2 sts, P2tog, YO, K3 (6 stitches)
Repeat these 4 rows to the desired length.

Knit-on Edging
If you’d like to add this on at the bottom (or end) edge of a shawl, it can be knit on as an elaborate type of bind-off:

Be sure that you have the right number of stitches to accommodate the pattern. For example, the example below is a 4-row pattern. The number of stitches on your needles must be divisible by 2 to accommodate this stitch pattern.

With the right side of your work facing you, CO an additional 6 stitches (cable cast-on method recommended):

K5, and then K the 6th stitch together with the next stitch on your left needle. You should have 6 stitches on your right needle and have decreased 1 stitch on your left needle.

Then, work as follows:
Row 1: K1, K2tog, YO, K2, YO twice, K1 (8 stitches)
Row 2: K1, (K1, P1 into double YO), K4, K the next stitch together with the next stitch on your left needle (8 stitches)
Row 3: K1, K2tog, YO, K5 (8 stitches)
Row 4: BO 2 sts, P2tog, YO, K2, K the next stitch together with the next stitch on your left needle (6 stitches)
Repeat these 4 rows to the desired length

Here’s what a knit-on lace edging looks like with a different stitch pattern:

This is a stitch pattern I’m using in an upcoming shawl project.

If you’d like to see shawl patterns that use this method, check out my Ravelry page (Sea Foam and Country Chic for example).

If you’d like to see some of my finished accessories, visit my Etsy shop.

Happy Knitting!
MikeH

Berries and Wine is a simple and fun knit that requires just 1 skein of this luxury Cherry Tree Hill yarn – or your favorite sock yarn.

It’s knit sideways and makes a scarf/wrap that’s asymmetrical in form and is best worn with a brooch/scarf pin.

There are rows of eyelets that give the hint of berries and the variegated colors are sure to remind you of a good red wine along with blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and more!

The accessory is a great neck wrap for a cool fall day.

Measurements: 42x41x24 inches (106x104x61xm)

The pattern is available on Ravelry and a finished scarf can be purchased on Etsy.

Happy Knitting!
MikeH

I really like the unique shape of this sideways-knit asymmetrical shawl. I knit it by hand from my original design and it grows from a few stitches to the other edge that’s finished with a knit-on frothy waves edging, and beads on some of the wave crests!

The yarn is one I’ve knit with before and I particularly like the subtle tones of the watered sea-foam green of the hand-dyed wool-blend yarn. The beads are off-white, foil-lined translucent Japanese glass (6mm).

Finished size of the shawl:
57 x 47 x 33 inches after blocking (145 x 120 x 84cm)

The pattern is available on Ravelry, Craftsy, and LoveKnitting. There’s also a completed version of the shawl available on Etsy.

Happy Knitting!
MikeH